What? No Jermaine Wiggins Thread?

[JoeSixPat]

Perhaps I missed it in my quick review of the messageboard, but I'm surprised no one else has posted a Jermaine Wiggins thread.

Felger's story is a good read - of course he tweaks the team for letting Wiggins go, noting Wiggin's 176 passes caught compared to the Patriot's offensive leader at TE (Graham at 99 passes caught) since Wiggins left NE.

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=164024

And of course he goes on to note the fact that the Patriots have drafted or signed 9 TEs since letting Wiggins go (Graham, Watson, Spencer Nead, Andy Stokes and David Thomas, Christian Fauria, Cam Cleeland, Fred Baxter, and Jed Weaver) not so subtley asserting that BB had his guy under his nose the whole time.

For my part, its tough not to like Wiggins - hometown boy, makes a great clutch catch in the Super Bowl to put us in position to win...

Sure he may be one of the few BB cuts who has done well since leaving, but I'm glad things have gone well for him... just so long as they go very very badly on Monday.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Bill loved Wiggie the football player. I think he was just naturally inclined in this highly competitive age to try to upgrade the talent at the position (especially after the disappointing 2002 defense of our first title). Wiggie is a JAG TE, but because he's a football player he still manages to accomplish more than some of his more talented peers. He also never played for the money - he'll basically play his heart out for whomever will pay him from one year to the next. Even he is a little surprised he is still in the league at this stage, but it's a testament to his will to play. I wish some of his more talented peers had such strong will. I think it would take being run over by a cement truck multiple times to cause the kid from Eastie to miss significant time.

 

[captain stone]

Felger is right. A Graham - Fauria - Wiggins combo for '02 and '03 would have been sweet. And remember, Watson was placed on IR after Opening Day vs. the Dolts, so add another year, perhaps. Then for '05, maybe Wiggins stays and Fauria is released/traded. Graham - Watson - Wiggins = Wow. Just goes to show thar BB/SP are human, after all.

 

[RayClay]

They've certainly been inefficient in their quest for tight ends.

If they sign Graham and he's healthy, they might have an awesome group now, but they've gone through lots of F.A.'s and draft picks to get there.

I do think they were looking for more size and athletic ability, but the guy can catch. I guess people that want to say we let one go have as good a case here as any.

I'm just happy for him that he's having a nice career and I'll never ever forget the job he did in the snow bowl game.

 

[captain stone]

I'm just happy for him that he's having a nice career and I'll never ever forget the job he did in the snow bowl game.

Hear, hear. There will always be a place in my heart for him and JR Redmond. What a game.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Yeah it was sad to see Wiggins go. He may not be as athletically gifted as the tight ends we have now but the guy can just catch the football. Glad to see he is doing well in Minny but I hope he doesn't have a big game against his old team. Hehe.

 

[SackMeIfYouCan]

He is, and always has been well liked here in Minny.
I seen him at the Mall of America earlier in the year with his wife and kid.
I talked to him briefly about the Red Sox.
He makes it clear that he loves the Red Sox and the Patriots.

I have full respect for that.
Full appreciation.
Ya gotta love loyalty, around here...it's hard to come by.


Sack

 

[JoeSixPat]

Cool response to this thread - I half expected a flurry of "how dare anyone question BB's decisions!" or a "Daniel Graham blows Wiggins away as a TE" knee jerk response.

Nice to see that a lot of people go beyond rooting for the laundry.

in hindsight, Wiggins could have been signed for relatively cheap money and has been a productive TE.

Of course, its not that BB has never made a personnel mistake in letting a guy go - its just that very few mistakes have come back to haunt him

 

[CTPatsFan]

Wiggins Article in Hartford Courant today

Excerpt:

Wiggins Anything But A Typical TE-Cut By Pats, Finds Success With Vikings
October 27, 2006
By ALAN GREENBERG, Courant Staff Writer


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The kid from East Boston loves the Red Sox, and he used to love arguing with the Patriots' biggest Yankees fan, the New Jersey-born Charlie Weis, who was then the team's offensive coordinator.

Jermaine Wiggins' voice was a trifle high to begin with, and when he got excited, he sounded a bit like Mike Tyson. And he got excited often, telling his teammates how his East Boston high school basketball team would have kicked their team's sorry butt.

Wiggins "was definitely a character," said defensive end Richard Seymour, a rookie during Wiggins' only full Patriots season (2001) and a teammate for two years at the University of Georgia. "He was the kind of personality that loosens things up in the locker room. He was fun to be around."

And in a dressing room as small as the Patriots' was at old Foxboro Stadium, it was hard not to be around Wiggins, or the sound of his voice. Despite one unforgettable game - Wiggins' team-leading 10 catches for 68 yards in the Patriots' 16-13 overtime postseason victory over the Raiders in the Snow Bowl - Bill Belichick did not try to re-sign him.

"I don't hold grudges," Wiggins said in a conference call this week. "I wasn't upset about anything."

Wiggins is used to not being on everyone's most wanted list. Despite coming out of Georgia - he transferred from Marshall because he wanted to be in a high-profile program - he was ignored in the 2000 draft and signed with the Jets as a free agent. They cut him before Thanksgiving and the Patriots picked him up. He caught only 14 passes during the 2001 regular season (but equaled that total in the postseason) and wasn't viewed as much of a blocker.

"He always lightened the mood, and he never lacked for confidence," Tom Brady said this week, smiling at the mere mention of Wiggins. "He felt he was a good player. And he was a good player. He still is."
----------------------------------SNIP-----------------------------------

http://www.courant.com/sports/footb...27,0,1286940.story?coll=hc-headlines-patriots

 

[captain stone]

Re: Wiggins Article in Hartford Courant today

Excerpt:

Wiggins Anything But A Typical TE-Cut By Pats, Finds Success With Vikings
October 27, 2006
By ALAN GREENBERG, Courant Staff Writer


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The kid from East Boston loves the Red Sox, and he used to love arguing with the Patriots' biggest Yankees fan, the New Jersey-born Charlie Weis, who was then the team's offensive coordinator.

Jermaine Wiggins' voice was a trifle high to begin with, and when he got excited, he sounded a bit like Mike Tyson. And he got excited often, telling his teammates how his East Boston high school basketball team would have kicked their team's sorry butt.

Wiggins "was definitely a character," said defensive end Richard Seymour, a rookie during Wiggins' only full Patriots season (2001) and a teammate for two years at the University of Georgia. "He was the kind of personality that loosens things up in the locker room. He was fun to be around."

And in a dressing room as small as the Patriots' was at old Foxboro Stadium, it was hard not to be around Wiggins, or the sound of his voice. Despite one unforgettable game - Wiggins' team-leading 10 catches for 68 yards in the Patriots' 16-13 overtime postseason victory over the Raiders in the Snow Bowl - Bill Belichick did not try to re-sign him.

"I don't hold grudges," Wiggins said in a conference call this week. "I wasn't upset about anything."

Wiggins is used to not being on everyone's most wanted list. Despite coming out of Georgia - he transferred from Marshall because he wanted to be in a high-profile program - he was ignored in the 2000 draft and signed with the Jets as a free agent. They cut him before Thanksgiving and the Patriots picked him up. He caught only 14 passes during the 2001 regular season (but equaled that total in the postseason) and wasn't viewed as much of a blocker.

"He always lightened the mood, and he never lacked for confidence," Tom Brady said this week, smiling at the mere mention of Wiggins. "He felt he was a good player. And he was a good player. He still is."
----------------------------------SNIP-----------------------------------

http://www.courant.com/sports/footb...27,0,1286940.story?coll=hc-headlines-patriots

I had forgotten that Wiggy and $eemore were teammates at UGA.

P.S.: Wiggy was ignored in the 1999 draft. He signed with the Jest and spent the season on their PS.

 

[Patriots4Ever]

Im glad Wiggy is doing good In Minnesota.I did not like seeing him go,as I remember faintly a few games where he really came through for us in his time here.He is a classy guy who ALWAYS played balls out.Im totally jumping on this Appreciation thread.:rocker:

 

[jimmyjames]

Wiggins is definitley of the ex-Pats whose career I continue to follow. Loved having a kid from East Boston on the team. Only player who actually sounded like the fans.